Sometimes I wonder where I’d be if I hadn’t taken my daughter to her first riding lesson. Retired early? Living on a beach? Eating ice cream for breakfast without judgment? What I do know is this—I definitely wouldn’t be on a small farm with four horses, one of whom believes he’s a stand-up comedian. One small decision quietly changed the direction of everything that followed.
Collections works the same way. Progress rarely comes from sheer volume. It comes from the right moments, handled the right way.
Collectors get a front-row seat to life’s daily reality show—job changes, surprise bills, family drama, and a few “well, that went sideways” moments. It’s tempting to measure productivity by how many calls a collector can power through in a day. After all, calls are easy to count. Outcomes aren’t.
But call volume doesn’t tell you whether the collector reached the right person, gathered useful information, or moved the account forward in any meaningful way.
Busy Isn’t the Same as Productive
High call counts often look impressive, but they can hide inefficiency. Multiple short calls that never reach the right party may inflate numbers while doing little to resolve accounts. Fewer calls that result in right-party contact, clear understanding, and a realistic next step often accomplish far more.
When conversations turn into background noise—quick dial, quick hang-up, repeat—collectors stay busy without being effective. The work feels productive, but the results don’t always follow.
The Calls That Actually Matter
The most valuable calls aren’t always the fastest ones. They’re the ones where the collector:
- Reaches the right person
- Understands the customer’s current situation
- Guides the conversation toward a workable next step
- Leaves the customer clear on what happens next
Those calls take intention. They require listening, redirection, and clarity. And they rarely fit neatly into a “calls per hour” metric.
Efficiency Looks Different Than Speed
Efficiency isn’t about doing more calls—it’s about doing fewer better ones. A collector who makes fewer calls but consistently achieves right-party contact and follow-through is often more productive than one racing through a dial list.
Effectiveness shows up in completed arrangements, fewer repeat contacts, and customers who actually do what they agreed to do after the call ends.
What We Choose to Measure Shapes the Behavior
When call count becomes the primary productivity measure, collectors learn to optimize for speed. When right-party communication, clarity, and outcomes become the focus, behavior shifts toward quality.
I didn’t know that one riding lesson would lead me to four horses and a life I never planned for. It wasn’t the number of lessons that mattered—it was the one that set everything else in motion.
In collections, productivity works the same way. It’s not about how many calls are made. It’s about which calls move things forward.
Author: Bev Evancic
Bev.Evancic@ResourceManagement.com
Bev Evancic is a Senior Vice President at Resource Management Services, Inc. Prior to employment at RMS, Bev worked as the Collection and Recovery Manager at AT&T Universal Card, Citi, and Federated Department Stores. Bev started in the collection industry as a collector at an upscale clothing store in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a returned check and private label credit card collector, Bev gained a basic understanding of the collection industry that has not changed with the introduction of regulations. Her collection philosophy begins with the idea that businesses and customers benefit from preserving the customer relationship. First, collectors need to attempt to contact customers when it is convenient for the customer to discuss his/her financial condition and willingness/ability to pay. Second, you never collect money by intimidating or threatening customers. Third, businesses must make sure the debt is valid.
She has managed all phases of collection and recovery operations, including automated dialer units, bankruptcy, and legal units, skip tracing units, internal collections, outside collection agency networks, and Consumer Credit Counseling. As a Consultant for Resource Management Services, Inc., Bev has spearheaded collection and recovery best practices reviews for many top credit grantors. Her articles on dialer operations, agency management and bankruptcy best practices have been widely publicized.
She is well known and regarded as a specialty expert in the areas of: Repossession, Bankruptcy, Estate, Litigation, as well as Pre- and Post- Charge-off. Prior to joining Resource Management Services, Inc. in 1995, Bev managed the Recovery Department for AT&T Universal Card Services where she developed the bankruptcy, probate, internal and litigation processes.
She is the author of “Recovery Management: Collecting the Uncollectible Account.
